Broken
by Claire Chase
Summary: A new school year, a new student, a new villain. Just another ordinary day for the students of Sky High. FORMERLY KNOWN AS MISSING
1. Claire

A new school year, a new student, a new villain; just another ordinary day for the students of Sky High.

Hey! So, recently, I got into Sky High, decided that I should write for it. It might not have clicked with me if there hadn't been the amazing Steven Strait in the movie (what a wonderful smile). So, I hope you enjoy my story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sky High or the characters; only Claire and her family.

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**Broken – Chapter 1**

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The Sky High bus pulled up to the curb. Of course, anyone who wasn't a superhero wouldn't know that; it looked like an ordinary school bus. Claire Mitchell sighed and stepped on. The doors pulled shut behind her. Slowly, she scanned for an empty seat; no one paid attention to her, assuming she was a freshman. Claire took the only empty seat in the back of the bus. She did not want to go to a new high school; after all, she wasn't anything at her old school, why would this be any different? A few freshmen screamed as the bus took off in midair, but most, including Claire, didn't mind. People swarmed around on the grounds, greeting their friends and catching up on what had been happening. Claire solemnly went inside the building. Invisibility wasn't her power, but one would think it was, the way people were ignoring her. She'd already been forewarned that she would be stuck with the freshmen for a day as they evaluated her powers. Claire knew that this would be another worst year of her life.

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Gently, Claire stirred the straw in her drink. It was her nervous habit when there was a straw and a cup around her; it was her way to attempt to cope with anything, even though all it did was give her a way to think. The day had been, as predicted, horrible. Rather than face her aunt, she looked for somewhere to hide. Her dark blonde hair and black streaks fell in her face, hiding her misery; no one seemed to care that she was there. A waiter came up and looked at her for a minute.

"Need anything?" his deep voice asked.

Claire pulled her hand away from the straw and looked up; he had dark hair pulled back, brown eyes, and was rather tall. "No thanks," she said softly.

His eyes showed a hint of curiosity. "Are you okay?"

She sighed and looked down at the table. "I started at a new high school today."

He sat down. "What high school you go to?"

Claire glanced up a little, then looked back down. "It's kind of…a private one."

"Yeah, me too…so, what happened?"

"Well…they stuck me in with the freshman for…placement…"

"I see…"

"Have you ever…felt like you don't belong?"

He looked at her green eyes and nodded. "Yeah…"

"That's what it felt like at my old school…and at my new one…everyone had people to talk to and eat with…and I was…"

"Alone?"

Claire glanced up from the table. "Yeah."

"It'll get better…it was like that for me for a while last year."

"What happened then?"

"I got friends." He stood up. "Don't worry about it…"

"Claire."

"Warren. See you around." Warren headed towards the kitchen. Claire picked up her chop sticks and ate a bite of food. She went on and finished her meal, stood up and went to the register, reaching into her bag. Warren came out and began to punch in numbers to the register.

"Thank you," she said softly, handing him money.

"No problem," he replied, holding out the change.

Warren went to one of the tables as Claire headed out the door. The cool wind whipped around her. She pulled her arms close in an attempt to stay warm. Her home had numerous lights on, glowing through the windows. Claire shook her head and walked up to the front door. She quietly pressed her fingers together and went to shut the door. Lights that flooded the staircase from above went off.

"Damn it Claire…" a voice came from the living room. An older woman with slightly graying brown hair came into the foyer, scowling at the girl. "I left those lights on for a reason."

Claire pulled off her jacket, and hung it on a wall hanging coat rack. "You don't need that many," she told her coolly. Footsteps came from upstairs; Claire and the woman looked up the dark hall. "Figures…" Claire muttered, heading for the kitchen.

"I told you to never do that." The woman growled at her, following on her heels.

Claire pulled a glass out of the cabinets and filled it with water. "What's your excuse now?"

"You never listened to a word I told you, ever!"

"Are you 'actually, really, truly in love' with this one?"

"Abigail?" a male voice called from upstairs.

Abigail stepped closer to Claire. "Turn them all off."

"Why?"

"Turn them off now." Her tone was menacing as she reached out for a utensil that was at least somewhat sharp. The lights flickered. Claire's breaths became quickened as she glanced up. Clearing her mind, she opened her palm; the rest of the house went dark as an orb of pure light gathered in her hand. "Get in the closet; keep that thing dark."

Claire used the light to guide her way; she shut the closet door behind her. She kept her back to the door, huddling around the light. Voices were muffled through the door, but it was something about her room. Obviously Abigail was keeping her a secret from whichever guy it was this week. Claire's eyes were amused as she attempted to decipher what they were saying. Slowly, her eyes began to close. How long could they talk out there? She sank to her knees, leaning her head against the wall. Soon, she fell asleep in the closet, her hand still holding the orb of light.

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Warren pulled his apron off, hung it up on the wall, grabbed his bag and headed home. It was another year at Sky High, nothing much new about that. It was still him, Will, Layla, Ethan, Zach, and Magenta. It would be just like second semester of last year, but for the whole year. The living room light was on in his house. Across the street, all the light were out except for what appeared to be a few candles. Was there some sort of black out for the whole block except for superhero homes? The rest of the street's homes were lit up; Warren shrugged it off. Probably some new people living there who were a little on the crazy side. It's not like it would affect him.

"Hey Mom," he called as he shut the door behind him.

A woman who looked eerily similar to himself came out from the lit room. "How was school today?"

He shrugged, dropping his bag on the floor. "It's school."

"And work?"

"Same."

"You want anything?"

"I think I'm just going to head upstairs."

His mother hugged him, stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead. "Sleep well."

"Night Mom." Warren went up the staircase, down the hallway and to his room. A flame came out of his hand and he lit a candle in his room. What was the purpose of using lights when you could just light a candle with the flick of your wrist? Luckily there was no homework since it was the first day of school. He put a CD in the player, hit the play button, lay on his bed, and stared up at the ceiling. He needed to get some sleep before school the next day; it was nearly midnight. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.

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A broom fell, hitting the ground with a loud noise. Claire awoke with a jolt at the sound, her hand snapping shut. The lights flickered on in the house and went off. She snatched at her bag, grasping for her cell phone. Fifteen minutes till seven. "Damn it," she cursed, grabbing her bag and throwing the door open. Sunlight streamed into the kitchen; she ran to her bedroom, pulling out a pair of dark ripped jeans, a black shirt and fishnets for her arms, and black Vans. Claire ran a brush through her hair quickly, lined her eyes with eyeliner, and bolted down the stairs. The house was empty, she deduced as she pulled her jacket on. Claire waited at the curb for the bus to pull up; across the street, another teenager came out of the house and headed for the curb. She shrugged it off as the bus pulled up and she took the same empty seat as the day before. Upon arriving at the school, she tentatively stepped up to the office desk.

"I'm supposed to get my schedule," she said softly.

"Name?"

"Claire Mitchell."

The secretary flipped through a list of schedules and handed her a sheet. Claire glanced at it. Of course, they give her the hard classes first thing in the morning. She dragged through the morning, attempting to stay awake. Lunch was the same as the day before. After she got her food, she silently looked around; all but one table was full. She sighed as she made her way across the commons to the empty table.

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"Man, I'm so ready for summer!" Zach commented.

"It's only the second day of school," Will pointed out.

"Yeah, and I'm _so_ ready for summer."

Warren shook his head; Zach was always a slacker. He glanced up from the group, looking at the freshmen. They all looked so frightened in groups of their friends, as if the older kids were going to hurt them as some joke. Warren rolled his eyes. How stupid could they get? One of them did not look like a freshman as she made her way to the empty table across the room. Why did she look so familiar? The hair, the stature, the clothing style…the eyes; that was it, the eyes. This was the girl from the Paper Lantern, Claire. It was definitely her, especially the shyness. Glancing back at the table of his friends, he jumped up, going after her.

"Claire," he said.

She turned around. "Warren?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah…I didn't know you went here."

"Transferred in this year…and no one here seems to take kindly to new students, even if they aren't freshmen."

"They really don't."

"I'll see you around." A miniscule smile spread on her face as she went towards the table. Warren watched as she sat, alone at the table. He went back to his table and began to eat again.

"What was that about?" Magenta asked.

"Nothing," he answered, staring at his tray.

"Doesn't sound like nothing," Zach agreed.

"Why don't you just drop it?" Warren growled menacingly.

Zach threw up his hands in defeat as the rest of the group watched suspiciously. Claire tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she put her fork into her food, but paused for a moment, then began to eat. She glanced at all of the people who were talking to their friends and enjoying themselves. Claire attempted to make herself seem as small as possible; it was times like this that she wished she did have invisibility as her power. Some people glared at her, but most ignored her. After that, her eyes never left her plate. Warren looked at her a few times, in all of her shyness. Why did it matter to him? Well, really, it didn't; it was just sort of reminiscent of him before he was friends with Will.

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Please review! Thanks for reading!


	2. Save the Citizen

A new school year, a new student, a new villain; just another ordinary day for the students of Sky High.

So, yes, very tragic thing had happened. My mother and I were fixing part of the laptop that had popped up. Something happened, laptop in hibernate mode, I lost my master copy except for what I'd saved…which was right after I finished chapter 1. I'd started on later plot pieces and chapter two. I was not very happy. My mother had this whole rant about saving and I told her that I thought I'd saved it. So, this is the new version…wish it was the old one…stupid auto recover. This also explains her powers in a bit more depth and gives us another glimpse into Claire's home life. Eventually, it'll get explained too, if it's confusing. Also, if you'd like to see what Claire looks like, go to my profile. It's near the top. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I may have watched it six times in five days, but I only own Claire and her screwy aunt.

**Broken – Chapter 2**

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The second day of school was over. Students gathered in their groups, talking about their classes that day. Warren, Will, Layla, Zach, Magenta, and Ethan stood in their group; everyone but Warren rambled on about what torturous things had happened in their classes. Warren was deep in thought. He occasionally glanced at the buses. He needed sleep bad…and he had homework…and a shift. _It's going to be a lot harder this year_, was Warren's last thought.

"Dude, what is with you today?" Zach asked. Warren looked at him.

"Yeah, you do seem a little out of it," Ethan agreed.

"I'm heading for the buses," Warren picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"That's a little sudden," Zach commented.

"I've got a shift later and I'm tired, got it?" Warren gave him an are-you-happy-now look.

Zach threw up his hands in defeat. Warren went for the buses and took his seat. He could finally return to thinking without interruptions. Since the day before, he'd been wondering how he could balance out homework, working at the Paper Lantern, and sleeping. Over the summer, when not working, he was still doing a lot of thinking; most of the time, he wouldn't figure out an answer or something to solve what he'd been thinking about. One of the few things he'd figured out is that he wasn't meant for relationships…other than friendships. Girls didn't click with him, even after he had been deemed a good guy after the homecoming incident. Warren had accepted this pretty well; after all, the last time he'd hung out or been around that ice girl was…homecoming. Shaking off his thoughts about romance and how much it sucked, he returned to plotting how to deal with everything this year.

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Everyone on the bus still stared at Claire as if she was some sort of freak or freshman. It didn't bother her at all; it might as well have been normal school for her. She took her usual place on the bus and watched out the window. At least, if she wasn't paying attention to the inside of the bus, people would start to ignore her. Where could she go today to avoid her home? Claire began to ponder this as the bus began its descent into Maxville.

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Day 3 of school at Sky High meant Save the Citizen for gym class. Originally, it was the second day, but they'd moved it to the third day to make the freshmen feel "more comfortable"; really, it was just to give the upperclassmen a chance to plot how they were going to torture them. Everyone sat in the stands as Will and Warren defeated yet another pair of students. It had gone this way since Lash and Speed had challenged them last year…except each time was easier than the first. Layla, Magenta, Ethan, and Zach all cheered as loud as they could for their friends.

"Stronghold, Peace, who do you want to be?" Coach Boomer…well, boomed over the roar of the gymnasium.

"Heroes," they replied, as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"Figures," he commented as he wrote on his clipboard. "Your opponents?"

"Josh Martin," Will said, looking as an African-American boy with a large afro stood up and headed to put his gear on.

"Peace?" Coach Boomer asked.

Warren looked around the stands. Well, no better time than the future to see what she's capable of. He couldn't help being curious. "Her," Warren gestured to Claire.

"Mitchell, get down there!" Coach Boomer shouted.

Claire looked up from the ground at Boomer. He jerked his hands towards where the gear was. Claire let out a frustrated sigh, went down the stairs, and began to pull on her gear. She hated Save the Citizen; no matter who she was paired with, no matter who they were against, no matter what, she could never win. She'd spent a whole semester the previous year studying hero history to prove that there had never been a case like Save the Citizen and that it was a stupid game. The administration didn't care how much she'd researched and written; this game was a tradition and it would stay. She took her place next to her partner, Josh, facing Will and Warren. Was it his goal to annoy her or get her out of her shell or something? Really, Claire didn't care; as long as she got out with little or no bones broken, she was fine with the stupid game. Her ego really didn't get hurt too much.

"Ready…set…BATTLE!" Boomer cried.

"I'll take Stronghold!" Josh shouted to her without so much as a glance and went running after him.

"Great," Claire rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed was to battle a tall, tough guy who could kick her ass within a minute. She could feel the floor rattle a little and hear lightning bolts forming. Warren stepped up, closing the distance to ten feet away, and powered up._Wonderful…a pyro_, she thought cynically. Opening her palms, she began to focus on drawing upon her power; the gym lights flickered a little as white balls of energy filled up in her palms. Warren threw his hand forward, fire flying towards her. Claire dropped to the ground and it flew over her head. "Oh shit." She began to run as Warren flung more small fire balls at her. Claire ducked behind a bench. "What to do, what to do, what to do…" she whispered to herself. The loud roar of fire came from behind her; she whipped around. The top of the bench was burning where the fire had come in contact and Warren faced her. Claire stood up and went in front of the bench. "So don't wanna do this…" she muttered as she refocused her mind and tried to power up again. This time, the lights didn't flicker or white orbs appear in her hands; this time, her hands began to glow orange and burst into flame. Will and Josh both stopped and looked.

"What…the…hell?" Warren asked. He was the only pyro at Sky High this year…well, apparently not. He swung a fireball at her; Claire put her hands out, catching it and throwing it back it him. This would be a little more difficult than he thought, yet the two of them stood, staring at each other, arms glowing. Will and Josh had returned to fighting, unsuccessfully.

"Hey, switch with me!" Josh shouted at Claire.

"You have got to be kidding me," she remarked, running as fast as she could to face down Will. Claire shot a fireball at him. Josh couldn't handle Warren any better than she could, which amused her slightly. Will glanced at his partner, and then did his signature move of pounding the floor. As it rippled through the floor, all but Will fell on the floor.

"Stronghold!" Warren shouted. He hated it when Will did that; no one could avoid the stupid wave of the floorboards. He shoved himself up again.

Josh stayed on the floor, moaning in pain. Claire began to push herself up to continue fighting, but Will was nowhere to be seen.

"Heroes win!" Boomer cried over the cheers of the crowd. What else was new? Josh moaned in pain; Claire shook her head and got up slowly, heading to take her gear off. As she peeled off yet another piece, Josh hobbled in, taking off pieces of his gear.

"You did a good job out there," he told her. Claire glanced at him. "No one's gotten Peace to stop in this game…ever. You powered up and he didn't know what to think." She shrugged, taking off another piece of gear.

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At the end of the day, Warren boarded and glanced around the bus for an empty seat. _Since when does she ride this bus?_ Warren thought. He shrugged and headed for the back of the bus and sat down. Claire looked away from the window and at Warren.

"Hey," he said nonchalantly.

"Uh…hi," she said softly. Claire glanced around and looked back at him. "Why are you sitting here?"

"Shouldn't everyone have someone to sit with?" Warren's voice was very unconcerned, almost making it sound like he was mocking her.

Claire shrugged. "It doesn't really matter…"

They looked away from each other. The bus took off, heading through the air. Warren looked back at her. Slowly, Claire's gaze returned to Warren.

"What?" she looked very confused.

"What exactly is your power?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Curiosity."

Claire looked back out the window, as if trying to ignore him. "I control energy…light, electricity, that sort of thing…"

"And the fire? That a part of energy?"

"No."

"Then what about that?"

"Look, I'm not proud of it and I wish I didn't have it," Claire informed him, turning back. "The only reason I used it today was to avoid getting seriously injured." Warren nodded a little. "What about you? Do you use your power to light all the candles in the Paper Lantern?"

"Funny."

"Isn't it?" she asked with a dead serious face, then looked out the window again. "Why did you come back here?"

"Maybe I wanted to get to know you better, maybe I was curious about your powers…" Warren stood up. "Who knows? See you around." Warren got off the bus and went in to the Paper Lantern. Claire watched as he went in, glaring slightly. Things like that annoyed her, when people would mess with her. She slumped back in the seat as the bus took off down the street, frowning a little. He was doing this to get to her…she thought. Soon, the bus pulled up to her neighborhood. If she hurried, made herself something to eat, and went to her room, she had a chance of avoiding her aunt all together. Quietly, she shut the front door behind her and went to the kitchen; with a plate carrying a sandwich, a glass of water, and bag of chips in hand, Claire began up the staircase. The front door slammed shut.

"What do you think you're doing?" Abigail hissed, dropping her bag by an end table.

"Going to my room for the night," Claire turned around slowly, staying on the stairs. "Why? Got a date?"

"Don't use that tone. I've got a man in the car right now. Either you get up to your room right now or you leave for the night." Claire rolled her eyes slightly. "And use those powers once…any way in the slightest…and you'll never see that school again and you'll be in London in a boarding school."

"Whatever," Claire told her, starting back up again. Abigail grabbed her wrists, yanking her back down the stairs, her eyes burning.

"Got it?" her voice was harsh. Her hands glowed orange, bursting into flame around Claire's wrists.

"I get it, okay?" Claire pulled her wrists from Abigail's reach, picked up her messenger bag, plate, glass, and chips, going straight to her room. She locked the door behind her, sat the food on a bedside stand and her bag on the floor, grabbed the remote, flipped on the T.V. and sat on her bed, holding her wrists. They were bright red and swollen and aching. Claire went into the bathroom attached to her room and pulled out the bandages, carefully and lightly wrapping them around her wrists. Settling back on her bed, she proceeded to do her homework and eat, making herself as scarce and invisible as possible.

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So, I hope you enjoyed! Please review. Now, I've got a challenge for you readers: while it will be a couple chapters before homecoming in the story, I have no idea what to do for Claire's dress. So, if you're interested, there are a few requirements: floor length, not red, preferably with straps. Let the challenge begin! (Even if you attempt, you will be one of my favorite people in the world. I can't imagine or design dresses for crap.)


	3. Friends

A new school year, a new student, a new villain; just another ordinary day for the students of Sky High.

So, here's a new chapter. We learn a bit more about Claire here. That's all I'm gonna say.

**Disclaimer:**Only own Claire and her screwed up family.

**Broken – Chapter 3**

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An alarm clock went off. Claire hit the button, threw the covers back, and went into the bathroom. She turned the shower faucet and shut the curtain. Sitting on the lid of the toilet, she tightened the bandages on her wrists before going in. Claire wrapped a towel around her body when she was done and went for her closet. She had to pick something to hide her wrists; finally, she pulled out a large black hoodie to go over her black shirt and her jeans. Cautiously, Claire pulled the bandages off and put on her clothes, grabbed her bag and headed for the bus.

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Warren took his time leaving the classroom and going to lunch. Slowly, he went through the line, getting his lunch. Will, Layla, Zach, Ethan, and Magenta waved at him as he passed by.

"Hey!" Will called.

"I'm gonna sit somewhere else today," Warren told them. They looked confused. "I'll be back tomorrow." Layla shrugged; the rest soon followed suit of acceptance. Warren headed to the table at the far end and sat down, beginning to eat. Claire glanced up from the table.

"What are you doing?" she asked, putting her fork down.

Warren swallowed a bite and looked at her. "I'm eating."

"What are you trying to do?" Claire pulled her black jacket's sleeves down further over her hands.

Warren brushed some of his hair back. "What are you talking about?"

"Is it your goal to mess with my mind or something?"

He laughed a little. "Mess with your mind? Now, that sounds like something I would do," he added sarcastically.

Claire let out a frustrated sigh. "Whatever…" The two ate without a word or barely looking at the other. Claire really didn't care why he was there, unless he was trying to screw with her mind. Warren was simply curious, but still really didn't care. Claire took a sip from her bottle; her sleeve slid back on her arm. Warren caught a glimpse of her wrist before she pulled the sleeve back down.

"What happened?" he inquired. Claire looked up, bewildered. "Your wrist."

Her eyes flitted between her wrist and Warren. "I caught it…" she replied softly.

"On what?"

"Why do you care?"

"What do you catch your wrist on that makes it do that? An oven door?"

"How would you know what makes a wrist look like that?"

"Pyro. I've accidentally caught my wrist on fire a few times."

"How?"

"You really need the run down?" Warren's voice was slightly sarcastic. Claire looked back at her food, twirling her fork in it. She was evading his gaze and Warren knew it. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

"Bet you I do."

"It deals with why I hate being a pyro. Got it?" Claire was upset with him and she wasn't intent on hiding it.

Warren shrugged, returning to his food. Claire ate a bit more, put her fork down, and picked up her bag as she started to stand up. "I'm out of here." She slung her bag over her shoulder, picked up her tray and walked away from the table. Warren watched as she threw out her trash and left the cafeteria. For a moment, he sat, staring at the door; then, he got up and followed her path. She made her way to the staircase that led to the doors of Sky High before he caught up.

"Why is it that you're pushing everyone away?" Warren asked, slowing down as he came up right behind her.

Claire made it halfway down the stairs, stopped and whirled around. "Why do you care so much?"

"I don't!" Warren protested.

"Then stop following me!" She started down the stairs again.

Warren picked it up and began tailing her again. "Pushing away people doesn't do anything."

"How would you know?" Claire questioned over her shoulder.

"Because I used to."

Claire turned around again. "You don't seem to be doing a good job right now." Warren raised his eyebrow in a mocking suspicious look. "Look, can't you just leave me alone?"

Warren took a step forward with a tough look. "Give me one reason."

She let out a loud, frustrated sigh. "You're impossible!" She began to walk away again.

Warren stayed where he was. "That doesn't count."

"I don't have to talk to you."

"You did the first night of school."

Claire stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, she turned around and went until she stood right in front of him. "The only reason I talked to you then was because I thought you were some person I would never see again. I had a bad day and figured, why not confide in some random stranger?" They stood, staring each other for a moment. "Will you leave me alone now?" her voice had dropped to her normal tone and volume. Warren watched her for a moment.

"Hey, Warren!" Zach called, running up. Warren rolled his eyes as Claire disappeared to somewhere else on campus. "Dude, I don't think she wants to talk to you." Zach put his elbow on Warren's shoulder, leaning on it.

"She might've…if you'd stayed inside," Warren growled.

"You know, she doesn't seem too interested." Warren looked at him peculiarly. "Why are you so interested in her?"

"I'm not interested in Claire."

"You're making it look like you really are…"

"I'm _not_ interested in Claire." His words were punctuated by his hands lighting up with flame.

"Whatever…" Zach said, going back inside. He headed for his locker, where Will, Layla, Ethan, and Magenta waited.

"What happened?" Will questioned.

"He says he's not interested in _Claire_." Zach leaned against his locker.

"Is that her name? Claire?" Layla jumped in.

"I guess, 'cause that's what he called her."

"What's with him lately?" Ethan inquired.

"I'll never understand that guy," Zach shook his head slightly.

"_No one_ will ever understand Warren," Magenta corrected him.

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Claire had been the first one on the buses at the end of the day. No school for two days; no one bugging her for two days; no one trying to mess with her mind for two whole days. People took their sweet time, trickling in and choosing a seat. She just wanted to get home, spending a weekend in peace; hopefully, her aunt would be gone for the weekend, if she was lucky.

"Hey," Warren said, sitting down, shattering her thoughts.

"What now?" Claire leaned back, looking at him.

"Do you always have this attitude?"

"What attitude?"

"This whole rebellious, I want to be left alone and have everyone hate me…"

"Whoa, hold it there, pyro boy!"

Warren laughed a little. "Pyro boy?"

"I don't want everyone to hate me."

"You sure about that?"

"Everyone _chose_ to hate me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No one was willing to reach out. How should I be expected to try and make friends with those who won't reciprocate?" Warren nodded a little, letting the silence sink in between their rapid fire conversation. "It was like that at my old school too. No one wants to reach beyond what they know." Claire glanced out the window. "Once again, why did you come back here? And don't tell me you were curious."

Warren thought for a moment. "I want to be friends."

"Huh?" Claire turned back to face him.

"I want to be friends."

"Friends?"

"Just friends."

"Are you trying to prove to me that not everyone at this school is psycho or against outsiders?"

"No. It's just a simple gesture. But if you don't want it…"

"No, its fine…we'll be friends." Claire's tone was slightly confused.

He nodded again as the bus pulled up. Both Warren and Claire stood up. They glanced at each other for a bit and got off. Claire began up the sidewalk to her house as the bus pulled away. "Wait – you're the one who moved in here?"

Claire turned around, crossing her arms. "Yeah…why?"

"I knew someone moved in here a few weeks ago…"

"What?"

"I live across the street."

"Oh…" Claire glanced down and back up. "Do you…do you want to come in for a while?" Warren raised his eyebrows. "That's what friends do, isn't it?"

"Sure." Warren came up next to Claire as she put the key in the doorknob.

"But you have to promise me one thing."

"Okay."

"We have to stay quiet for a while."

"What?"

"I'll explain when we get inside." Warren nodded and Claire quietly opened the door. They dropped their bags by the end table. Claire peered in the living room, and then the dining room and kitchen. "Okay, you can talk now."

Warren leaned against the kitchen doorway. "What was that about?"

"I had to make sure my aunt wasn't home."

"Still confused."

"She's not exactly the nicest person." Claire reached up into the cabinet for a glass. "You want something to drink?"

"Water's fine."

Claire pulled down another glass and began to fill them with tap water. "You're not going to go tell your friends anything I tell you, are you?" She handed him the glass. Warren shook his head, taking a sip. Claire sat down on a bar stool. "My aunt hates me."

"Really?" Warren took a seat on another bar stool.

"She was younger than my father and resented that my grandparents favored him over her." Claire sat her glass down, brushing some hair from her face. "So, when my parents decided that I belonged in the States rather than in Europe while they fought crime, they sent me to live with her. She decided to take out her frustration at my father on me. She's also kind of…destructive. Abigail, my aunt, brings home any man willing to give her attention." Warren nodded slightly. "I guess when you spend your whole life without attention; you need it at some time."

"What about you? Is that going to be you?" Warren joked slightly. Claire looked confused. "From what you've told me, it sounds like you've been pretty neglected."

"Unlike my aunt, I learned how to deal with it." Claire shrugged a little. "I don't hate her for neglecting me. I don't approve of her bringing home any man who'd care for her for five minutes…"

"So, you like your aunt, even though she neglects you?"

"I'm not saying I like her either…it's…complicated…" Claire sighed, taking a sip of water. "Some of the guys…they just seem so…creepy…and disturbing."

"In what way?" Warren's voice was concerned, finally loosing his calm, I-don't-care front.

"When I was eight, this one, whenever Abigail wasn't around, kept staring at me…in this…strange...a way that I can't even describe…and this other one, when I was eleven, made a pass at me."

"Seriously?" Warren leaned forward a little.

"Yeah…" Claire paused a little. "I'm sorry…I really didn't mean to dump all this on you…"

"Its fine."

"I've never let anyone see this far into my life before…"

"Really, it's fine…hey, if any of those guys ever does something that creeps you out, call me."

"What?"

"We're friends, right?" Claire nodded. "Friends don't let things like that happen." Warren took a small piece of paper, writing his number on it, and handed it to Claire.

"Thank you Warren." Her voice was soft.

"You've been really honest with me, Claire…my dad is Baron Battle." Claire sat for a while, quietly. "I'm not proud of it, but…"

"It really doesn't matter to me. Who your family is, that doesn't define who you are. You define who you are." Warren nodded a little. A door slammed shut, along with the sound of giggling. "Oh no…" Claire jumped up, snatching her glass and putting it in the sink.

"Is that her?" Warren asked in a low tone, doing the same.

"Yes…we need to get out of here…" The two took off down a hallway, and soon stopped, ducking into a closet. "I'm sorry," Claire whispered. "This probably wasn't how you planned on spending your Friday night."

"It's fine," Warren whispered back. "Do you usually hide in here?"

"Sometimes…" The two voices from outside came closer, and then upstairs. "I think it's safe outside." Warren and Claire cracked the door open and made their way to the front door. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Remember our deal?"

"Yes, I remember." Warren nodded a little. "I'll see you later."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Warren headed towards his house as Claire shut the door and went upstairs, sneaking into her room.

"Hey Ma," Warren called, hanging up his leather jacket.

"Hey Warren. Were you just over at that house across the street?" his mother, Sara, called from the living room.

"Yeah…" he leaned against the doorframe.

"So, are they nice?" Sara placed a bookmark in and sat her book on the coffee table.

"I only met the girl…she goes to Sky High…"

"Really?"

"She controls energy…and a pyro…"

"That's wonderful. What's her name?"

"Claire."

"I'm glad you two are getting along. Is that her mother who lives with her?"

"Her aunt. I'm going to head upstairs."

"Good night, sweetie!"

"Night Ma." Warren headed up the stairs, to his room, and shut the door. As he turned on the music and sat on his bed, he looked out the window at the windows of Claire's house, watching intently.

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Hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	4. Lies

A new school year, a new student, a new school year; just another ordinary day for the students of Sky High.

Okay, we're going to pick up the pace a bit beyond the first week of school. So, let's do the time warp! Okay, enough of that cheesiness. We're basically going to skip some time a bit now that we've gained vital info about Claire, we can skip totally pointless time where we gain no information. Get it? Got it? Good. Enjoy! Also – now that I've returned to school, I'll try to update as soon as I can. Last week I was off, so I spent a lot of my time writing; but I've got ideas! I'm also assuming that, since just about the only way to Sky High is by bus, that they are taken to the dance by bus.

**Disclaimer: **Only own Claire and Abigail and her currently unseen parents.

**Broken – Chapter 4**

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Warren sat in his room, reading a book. It was his typical Friday night, just the way he liked it: quiet and peaceful. Sara was downstairs, reading her own book. School was moving along rapidly after the drama of the first week. Most of the time, Warren sat with Claire at lunch; she'd began to open up a little, but she was still as shy as could be. Breaking the peaceful silence, his cell phone went off. Warren dug through the piles of junk in his messy room for the phone. He yanked it out from a pocket of a pair of jeans. "Hello?"

"Warren?" a voice asked over the phone, sounding afraid.

"Claire?"

"Yeah…"

"Are you okay?" Warren went over to the window seat, pulling the curtains on his window back, looking over at Claire's window.

"My aunt has someone over…" she was pacing back and forth in front of her window. Claire settled in front of her window. "I don't know something about him…"

"What did he do?" they looked at each other.

"He kept asking questions about me and just staring….I can't explain it Warren, something just doesn't fit…"

"It'll be okay. I'm going to watch from my window and come over in a bit. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem." Both watched as the other hung up their phone. Warren stayed at his window, watching, as Claire settled back on her bed, the glow of the T.V. against her and the rest of the room. Fifteen minutes passed with nothing happening. Warren tried to stay awake. After twenty minutes, Claire jumped up from her bed, her back facing the window. Warren jolted awake, paying attention. Claire backed around her bed, revealing the man through the window. Warren got up from the window seat and tore for the front door. Slamming the door behind him, Warren glanced up at her window. She was still visible to him; he ran across the street, knocking on the door as calm as he could. Abigail answered the door.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Claire's partner on a project for school and we were supposed to talk about it tonight. Is she home?" Warren thought quickly.

"Yeah, she's up in her room." Abigail let him in. Warren went up the stairs and opened the door to her room. The man had her pinned up against a wall. He stepped back as Warren went to Claire.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Claire pushed a piece of her hair back.

Warren turned to the man. "Leave her alone," he instructed in his most menacing voice. The man backed up as Warren led Claire out of her room. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Let's go." The two went down the stairs, but were stopped by Abigail's voice.

"Where do you think you're going?" Abigail called from the living room.

"Out," Claire replied, pulling her jacket on.

"Some last minute, project things," Warren added. Claire looked at him, confused. He mouthed to her, "I'll explain later." They went out the front door and across the street to Warren's.

"Warren?" Sara asked, coming to the front door.

"Hey Ma." Warren hung his jacket up on the coat rack. "Mom, this is Claire. Claire, this is my mother, Sara Peace."

Sara smiled warmly, holding out her hand. "It's wonderful to meet you Claire."

Claire shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Peace."

"Well, you two have a good night." Sara smiled and headed back to her book in the living room. Warren headed up the stairs towards his room, Claire following.

"So, what was the whole project thing about?" Claire asked.

"I needed an excuse. I highly doubt your aunt would have liked the story that her boyfriend was in her niece's room doing god knows what, so I'm here to help her." Claire smiled a little. "You're sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

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"Hey, Warren," Claire approached his locker. "I wanted to thank you again for…"

"It's nothing," Warren cut in. "That's what friends are for."

Claire smiled a little and headed for her locker down the hallway. It had been about a week since the incident with nothing new happening; homecoming was the next day and the school was buzzing about it. Warren began exchanging books from his bag and locker. Will, Layla, Zach, Magenta, and Ethan came up, all greeting him.

"So, how's it going with flame girl?" Zach inquired.

"Oh, I didn't know you were interested in her," Layla said sweetly.

"It's not going because I'm not interested," Warren informed them, throwing in a book and slamming his locker shut.

"Well, I guess that's a good thing," Ethan pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"What are you talking about?" Layla asked.

"Cause it looks like Josh Martin's making his move," Zach answered.

Warren leaned against his locker as they looked down the hallway. Next to Claire stood Josh Martin, obviously saying something.

"So, do you have a date for homecoming yet?" Josh smiled at her.

"No," Claire replied quietly, taking a book off the top shelf.

"Then maybe you'd like to go with me."

Claire shut her locker door, turned around, and looked at him. "Sure."

"So, I'll meet you there?"

Claire laughed a little. "Okay."

"Awesome." Josh leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "See you then." He went down the hallway. Will, Layla, Zach, Ethan, and Magenta watched Josh while Warren watched Claire. The look on her face was somewhere between elated, awestruck, and hopelessly in love. He ground his teeth together a little, attempting to let it go.

"I've gotta head for the buses. See you guys tomorrow." Warren turned and went down the opposite end of the hallway.

"You know," Ethan started when Warren was out of earshot, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say that he is interested."

"Why?" Magenta questioned.

"He did look pretty pissed when Josh was talking to her," Zach agreed.

"If Warren says he isn't interested in her, he isn't," Will told them.

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Claire settled next to Warren in their usual seat on the bus. This time, he looked out the window as she tried to deduce what was wrong with him.

"So, what'd Josh want?" Warren asked.

Claire pulled her bag off her shoulder. "Why do you want to know? Curiosity?" she inquired jokingly. Warren made no comment. "He asked me to homecoming."

"Really? And?"

"And what?"

"And what was your response?"

"When pigs fly. What do you think?" Claire replied sarcastically.

Warren turned to face her. "So, you said yes?"

"Why? What's wrong?" Claire's face fell a little.

"Nothing…it's your life."

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Why Warren had even come to homecoming even he couldn't explain it. He had no intentions of going, yet he was standing in the Sky High gym in his father's old tux. Will and Layla, Zach and Magenta, and Ethan and his date were all dancing. Warren stood near the food table, almost like a wall flower. Josh was standing near the door, waiting for Claire. Songs passed after another; the doors opened with more people coming in from the late buses. Among them was Claire, in a light blue dress with silver accents on the top; the dress fell at different lengths from slightly above her knees to mid-calf. She looked pretty to say the least. Josh seemed to think so, judging by the way his face lit up and immediately took her out to the dance floor. Warren watched, glaring slightly. He had never liked Josh from his first day at Sky High. He was always finding new ways to torture and torment Warren just because he was the son of Baron Battle. Now, Warren figured Josh only asked Claire because she was his friend.

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Josh was trying his best to make Claire become an extrovert, if only for one night. Of course, she wasn't going for it very much. A few times, Claire glanced over at Warren. For some odd reason, she was slightly delighted in his discontent. He had been acting so mysterious yesterday after Josh had asked her and wouldn't tell Claire a thing about it. She danced some, but mostly let Josh take the lead. After a long time, Josh stepped closer, trying to talk over the music.

"Do you want to get a drink and maybe go for a walk?" he said loudly.

"Sure," she answered.

Josh took her hand in his, leading her through the crowd to the food table where Warren stood. As Josh retrieved two drinks, Claire stepped over to Warren.

"Hey."

"Having fun?" Warren asked, even though he could care less.

Claire smiled a little. "Yeah. You?" Warren shrugged a little.

Josh came over, handing Claire a cup. "Ready for that walk?"

"Sure." Claire turned back to Warren. "I'll see you later."

Josh took Claire's free hand and led her out of the gym, into the quiet hallways. "So, are you enjoying Sky High?"

"So far…" Claire took a sip.

They walked in silence, making it quite someway from the gym. "Your parents work in Europe, right?"

"Yeah…how did you know?"

Josh stepped in front of her and stopped. "My parents work with them, Claire."

"They do?"

"They're all villains."

"Huh?"

"Your parents aren't heroes. They're villains."

"Josh, did someone slip something into your drink?" Claire was confused. She knew for a fact her parents were heroes. She'd seen them fight crime in Europe the last time she was there. If someone told her that her aunt was a villain, it wouldn't surprise her; but…her parents?

"I'm serious Claire."

"Are you getting sick or something?"

"Accept it. Your parents aren't trying to rid the world of crime. They're causing it."

Claire took a shallow, jagged breath. "You're lying to me. Why would you do that?"

"I'm not," a smirk spread across his face.

"No, I know that you're lying!" Claire shouted. "You're lying!"

Josh stepped away, disappearing down a hallway. Claire continued to yell the same thing at the hallway as if he could still hear her. She wouldn't accept; she couldn't. Claire knew for a fact he was lying. What kind of person would like how she was so upset by what he'd said? She never should have said yes. He'd barely said a word to her since the whole Save the Citizen thing. After five minutes, she stopped and brushed away small forming tears, trying to regain her composure. Silently, she went into the gym again. Taking deep breaths she went to one side of the gym.

"Where's your date?" Warren came up behind her. Claire turned around and looked at him. "What's wrong?" Her face look downcast and she was quiet again, her mouth far from the slightest smiling it had done earlier.

"I'll tell you later."

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"So, what happened?" Warren asked as the bus home took off.

Claire took a deep breath. "You'll think it's stupid…"

"Try me."

"How could I have been so stupid to go with him?" Claire leaned back in the seat. "I should have known better…"

"Then stop evading and tell me what's wrong." Warren was beyond curiosity this time. Something was genuinely wrong with her. The last time Claire had acted like this was…well, never, really; but it was like she'd reverted to her old self. Claire leaned up, whispering to him so no one else would hear. "Huh?"

"Do I have to say it again?" Claire inquired wearily.

"No, I heard you…but, I don't really get it."

"I know he's lying…"

"Then let it go. If it's so obvious he's lying, then don't let it bother you. Josh is a jerk anyway."

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Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! I'll try to update soon!


	5. Friday

A new school year, a new student, a new villain; just another ordinary day for the students of Sky High.

Yay for new chapter! Please check out my profile. Originally, it was just one video, but now it's one okay video and one pretty awesome (my opinion) video that can be considered previews for this story! It features the first scene at the Paper Lantern, the lunch scene between Warren and Claire, a scene from this chapter as a remembrance of what Claire used to be like. Please check them out and review them, especially if you want a general idea of what Claire looks like. Other than that, enjoy this chapter!

**Disclaimer:** Still not owning it.

**Broken – Chapter 5 **

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It was mid-October, with Halloween just around the corner. Homecoming had produced many couples around Sky High; most people were betting on only three from the dance making it to the next one still as a couple. Warren and Claire never spoke of what had happened at homecoming. Now, the two sat together nearly everyday at lunch. Claire talked barely a bit more than she had earlier in the year. Josh Martin had been nowhere to be seen since the homecoming dance. That was how Warren preferred it, personally. He still spent his Friday nights reading or listening to music in his room. This Friday was no different as he sat on the window seat, reading. He glanced up, reaching for his water bottle, but something outside the window caught his eyes. Warren watched as Claire crawled out the window on to the porch roof, towards a tree and climbed down it. Warren grabbed his jacket and headed out of his room.

"I'll be back soon Ma!" he called as he went for the front door.

"Okay!" Sara called back.

Warren walked down the street, following behind her at a healthy distance. Eventually, she ended up on a swing set at a nearby park where Warren had spent a fair amount of his time growing up…that is, before being able to use his pyro ability. He quietly came up behind her.

"Just came out for a Friday night swing?"

Claire turned around, and then back, speaking softly. "Just couldn't stay there anymore."

Warren took a seat on the swing next to her. "Another guy?"

"Uh huh."

"You could have called."

"I can defend myself." Claire looked over at him. "I do appreciate it, but I need to know that I can do it myself too."

Warren shrugged. "So, why here?"

"I don't know…I guess it's because parks always remind you of your childhood…playing at them…"

"Played at this one when I was a kid."

"It must've been fun…"

"Except for all of the kids staring at me because I didn't look normal." Claire nodded a little. "Okay, look, we haven't talked about this much…the whole homecoming and Josh thing…"

"Oh, that," Claire dropped her voice lower. "It's like I said…I didn't know what I was thinking…I never…it was sort of a…first…"

This time, Warren nodded. "I was never very fond of him to begin with."

"Really?"

"Had a thing about bugging me about my father's past."

"I'm sorry…"

Warren shrugged. "It's nothing. He was just a jerk."

"Then I guess it's a good thing he's gone…" Claire remarked. They sat in silence for a while, slightly swinging back and forth. "So…how'd you know…where I was?"

"You may wear all black, but I can still see you crawling out of your window at night." Warren smirked a little. "That's a new way to escape your house."

Claire let out a small laugh. "I guess…"

Warren leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees in the typical guy position. Claire held on to the chain, barely swinging while dragging her shoes through the sand. A breeze barely blew through the trees and the playground. Warren looked over and watched Claire. She glanced over.

"What, is there something on my face?" Claire asked.

Warren laughed a little. "No…there's nothing…." Claire looked down at the sand shyly, smiling the slightest. "What's that? Is the completely introverted Claire smiling?" Warren teased. Claire giggled slightly, her minuscule smile growing wider. "We might even see something beyond a smirk this evening…."

Claire laughed again. "Okay, I can smile, I can smile! But what about you? I have yet to see you crack a smile."

Warren looked at her mischievously. "That I can't guarantee."

"God, it seems like forever since I've smiled," Claire looked out over the empty playground. Warren watched her curiously. "After I was sent back here by my parents when I was six, I lived with Abigail until I was almost twelve. Then my grandparents took me to live with them…after I turned thirteen, we were in an accident…both of them were killed…I went back to live with Abigail. That was the last time I had actually, full out smiled."

"Must have been hard."

"Things just seemed really odd about it…like it was planned and not an accident…" Claire shrugged. "Oh well. Maybe I'm just paranoid."

Warren nodded. The two sat on the swings for a while, occasionally talking, but it was mainly spent in silence.

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"Warren! Time to get up!" Sara called from the bottom of the staircase.

"It's Saturday, Ma!" he shouted back without moving from his bed.

"You know what I'm talking about, Warren." Warren rolled over in his bed, refusing to get up. He and Claire had stayed at the park until at least three in the morning. Sara sighed and headed up and opened the door to his room. "You need to go."

"No, Mom."

"Please, Warren?" Sara asked calmly. "It's only once every few months."

"You know I hate it." Warren pulled the covers over his head.

"Will you do it for me?" Warren didn't respond. "Warren, please, this is all I ask of you."

Warren sighed angrily. "Fine. I'll go."

Sara smiled a little, shutting the door behind her. Warren threw back the covers and dragged himself out of bed, throwing on a pair of jeans, a shirt, his gloves, his leather jacket, and yanked on his shoes. He went down the stairs unhappily and sat at the kitchen table, taking a sip of orange juice. These Saturday mornings were his least favorite things in the world. Sara sat some food in front of him.

"No thanks."

"You're not going to eat anything?"

"The sight enough makes me sick."

"Warren…"

"How long do I have to stay today?"

"At least fifteen minutes."

Warren rolled his eyes, gulping down the last of his drink, and got up. "See you in about half an hour." Warren took off down the street, heading for a building on the edge of town. A woman sat at the front desk in the building and looked up, smiling and reaching for something.

"Morning Warren," she beamed, holding out a badge.

Warren clipped the badge of the end of his jacket. "Morning," he grumbled.

"Excited to be here, I see." Warren rolled his eyes. "Go on back."

He headed through a hallway on the right. The guards paid no attention to him; this was fairly typical. When he reached a door in the middle of the hallway, he looked at the guard. The guard opened the door and let Warren in, shutting it behind him. Everything in the room was stark white; the walls, the bed, the table, the chairs. A man with unruly hair in an orange ensemble sat in a chair, glancing up at Warren. "Is it that time already?" Warren didn't answer. "Glad as ever to be here I see."

"I only come here because Ma wants me to."

"Is that so?"

"If it were up to me, I'd never have seen you to begin with."

"Just as hard headed as before." Warren grumbled under his breath, leaning against a wall. "So, how's school?"

"Don't act as if things are normal between us!" Warren shouted at him. "You know they aren't and they never will be!"

"Hard headed and angry I see."

"Just stop talking…"

"Even your mother couldn't talk you out of being angry?"

"Shut up Baron!"

"I'm your father, whether you like it or not, and that's how you'll address me."

"I'll address you however I please!"

"Is that so?" Warren glanced at his watch. Ten more minutes to go; he sighed angrily. "What? Counting the minutes?"

"Personally, I don't want to come here. I never have. Would it really shock you to find out that I counted the minutes?"

"So, any girlfriends? Or friends for that matter?"

"What do you care?"

"Well, I'm afraid that my conversation is lacking," Baron began sarcastically, "considering I never see outside this room."

"And rightly so."

"Apparently you're still reading avidly, taking after your mother…"

"Don't talk about her that way!"

"What, going to try and break the anti-power barrier in here?"

Warren glared at him, standing up straight and heading for the door. He knocked on it. A guard peered in through the small window and then opened the door, letting Warren out. He tossed the badge on the front desk counter as he left the building. He'd only been in there for about seven minutes total. Warren took his time heading home, making up for the extra eight minutes he'd skipped out on.

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Fairly shorter than the other chapters. Hope you enjoyed! Please review! Next might be a rather large event, but I'm content to string out this little time period for a while.


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